RSS Race Recap: 2014 Australian Grand Prix quietly opens the new F1 era [spoilers]

[Ringo64]

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/infiniti/" rel="tag">Infiniti</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/mercedes-benz/" rel="tag">Mercedes-Benz</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ferrari/" rel="tag">Ferrari</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/renault/" rel="tag">Renault</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/australia/" rel="tag">Australia</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/racing/" rel="tag">Racing</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2014-australian-grand-prix/#photo-2487568"><img alt="Opening of the 2014 Australian F1 Grand Prix" data-credit="Getty" data-mep="173385" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/a43d4f578691d1e12235f1b9efbc8b9e/ausgp01.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The first chapter of the new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/f1/">Formula One</a> era has been written with the conclusion of the Australian Grand Prix, and it included a rookie rush, some resurgent and some unsurprising performances, the sound of screeching tires and a couple of firsts.<br /><br />Outside predictions as to the pace of the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/mercedes+amg+petronas/">Mercedes AMG Petronas</a> team were proved as soon as the Friday practice sessions, with <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/lewis+hamilton/">Lewis Hamilton</a> recovering from an engine sensor fault in the first session to top the second, followed by teammate <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/nico+rosberg/">Nico Rosberg</a>. That didn't change come the start of qualifying, not even the rain slowing down the Silver Arrows, Hamilton taking pole as the last man across the line in Q3.<br /><br />The surprises were in the order behind him, with new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/infiniti+red+bull+racing/">Infiniti Red Bull Racing</a> man <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/daniel+ricciardo/">Daniel Ricciardo </a>grabbing second spot just three-tenths of a second down on Hamilton. Ricciardo not only looked like he belonged at the front of the grid the entire weekend, but he seems to have reversed the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/mark+webber/">Mark Webber</a> jinx: four-time World Champion <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/sebastian+vettel/">Sebastian Vettel</a> had car issues and didn't get into Q3, having to settle for 13th on the grid.<br /><br />After Ricciardo came Rosberg in the second Mercedes, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/mclaren/">McLaren</a> rookie <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/kevin+magnussen/">Kevin Magnussen</a> in fourth, then <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/fernando+alonso/">Fernando Alonso</a> in the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/ferrari/">Ferrari</a> in fifth, Jean-Eric Vergne in the first <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/toro+rosso/">Toro Rosso</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/nico+hulkenberg/">Nico H&uuml;lkenberg </a>in the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/force+india/">Force India</a>, rookie Daniil Kyvat in the second Toro Rosso and the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/williams/">Williams</a> duo of <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/felipe+massa/">Felipe Massa </a>and Valtteri Bottas rounding out the top ten.<br /><br />Almost all of that would change as soon as the lights went out.<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2014/03/16/2014-australian-grand-prix-f1-recap/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Race Recap: 2014 Australian Grand Prix quietly opens the new F1 era [spoilers]</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2014/03/16/2014-australian-grand-prix-f1-recap/">Race Recap: 2014 Australian Grand Prix quietly opens the new F1 era [spoilers]</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Sun, 16 Mar 2014 19:58:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2014/03/16/2014-australian-grand-prix-f1-recap/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20850888/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2014/03/16/2014-australian-grand-prix-f1-recap/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a><div class="feedflare">

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